At this point, you might have gathered that I love Mexican food. Tacos are one of the major food groups on my food pyramid. And THIS recipe, well this is my hubby’s favorite (which says a lot). Pork shoulder is seared in a hot pan to get a crispy crust, then added to a slow cooker with lots of delicious sauce and spices. It simmers in that beautiful bathtub until the pork is juicy, tender and succulent. I’ll normally make a pot on Sunday for the week (but good luck if it lasts past Wednesday).

Pork carnitas pictured here with corn tortillas, habanero-lime crema, pineapple salsa, cilantro and cotija cheese. Don’t forget the Coronas!

Ingredients

3 lb boneless pork shoulder (or 4-5 lbs bone-in)

1 28-oz can green enchilada sauce

2 poblano or pasilla peppers, stems removed

2 jalapenos, stems removed (seeds removed depending on desired spice level)

1 white onion, peeled and quartered

4 cloves of garlic, separated but skins left on

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp bouillon paste (I prefer Better than Bouillon chicken flavor).

1 tsp liquid smoke

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

To make the green chile sauce:

Turn on the broiler in your oven. Add the poblano peppers, jalapenos, white onion, and garlic to a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Place the sheet pan 6 inches under the broiler and roast, turning peppers occasionally, until peppers are charred and the onion starts to become charred around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cooled, peel garlic and add everything on the sheet pan (including leftover juices) to a blender. Blend until smooth. In a large bowl, whisk the blended sauce with the jar of enchilada sauce, dried oregano, bouillon paste, and liquid smoke. Set aside.

To assemble the pork:

Cut the pork into 2-inch cubes. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat a large heavy-bottomed pan over high heat. Add 1-tbsp of canola oil to the pan, and just before it starts smoking, add enough cubes of pork to fill the pan (but not crowd it). Sear until the pork develops a golden crust on the bottom (approximately 1 minute). Flip and develop a crust on the opposite side. Remove from the pan (you can add the seared cubes directly to the slow cooker). Repeat in batches, adding more canola oil as needed, until all of the pork has been seared and placed in the slow cooker.

Add the sauce to the slow cooker, covering the pork. Cook on high for 4-5 hours until tender and easily shreddable (is that a word?) with a fork. Enjoy!